Trick or Treat
by BregoBeauty
Summary: sequel to Mother's Day - Halloween at the Rippner house. One-shot. JxL.


**Trick or Treat**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from any movies mentioned or alluded to.

**Summary:** (follow-up to Mother's/Father's Day storyline) Trick or treating with the Rippner family… or at least trying to. And scary movies.

_Halloween - Dusk_

"C'mon… time to go!" Lisa Rippner called. Her foot tapped impatiently on the foyer's marble floor. Wrapped up in knots around her ankles was the always energetic Jack Russell belonging to the twins. Cooper barked, his little tail wagging.

"Jackson! I mean it!"

Grumbled curses floated down the stairwell before her lanky husband appeared. Since it was Halloween, the entire family, even the youngest, was dressed up. The only Rippners who protested the costume rule were the indecisive Nicholas and his father.

In fact, choosing costumes never got easier. Nicholas ran amuck in the costume store, causing his sister to scream every few seconds as he jumped at her, wore masks, and made noises. He changed his mind more times than Lisa could count. Among the discarded choices were the standard superheroes (Batman, Spiderman, one of the X-Men), the robotic Transformers, pirates, Indians, ninjas, and the old-stand-by—a ghost.

None of these choices were "scary enough" in his nine-year-old mind. Not even dressing in a suit and tie and being "daddy".

Marissa, a far more simple and sweet child, hadn't even considered an outfit that wasn't a princess of one sort or another. Her final decision was to be a Disney princess—Sleeping Beauty, or Aurora as she was sometimes called—mainly because she wore a pink dress. She had a little crown and a wand and even sparkly shoes.

Daddy's little princess pouted at the door. "Can we go? Pleeeasseee?"

"Honey, you know the rules… we all go together," she sighed. "Jackson Rippner! We're waiting on you!"

Cooper barked, his little pumpkin-screened t-shirt twisted.

Lisa hung the trick or treat bags on the handles of the stroller. Inside, Katarina slept peacefully. The youngest member of the family was in one of Nick's old costumes. Little Kat was a lion, or a lioness in her case, in a warm, fuzzy costume.

Behind her, Nicholas made slashing sounds and faux gun-fire noises. He had a plastic knife, against her wishes. This was his second costume – that morning he had gone to school as a vampire with fake plastic fangs and a ghostly pale face. Now he looked like a mini-serial killer and not a mini-Rippner.

No, no, her son had a plastic butcher knife and a white mask. He was a very short Ghostface from the _Scream_ series. She blamed Jackson for it.

With a scowl, her husband appeared. "This is ridiculous, Leese."

"You look handsome." She walked over to him, straightening his clothes. "Besides, it was this or those _Twilight_ vampires and I know how you hate them…"

"Vampires. Pansies are more like it."

"Besides, this is much more… us."

Jackson rolled his blue eyes. "I guess. But why don't I get a weapon?"

"Because, like your son, you're a two-year-old when it comes to candy. Plus your weapon is your mind, got it, Sherlock?"

"If you say so… _Irene_."

* * *

><p><em>Halloween – 7:30pm<em>

They made an odd sight—five people and a little dog in various costumes. Sleeping Beauty clung to either the hand or skirt of her mother, while Ghostface delighted in running ahead and spooking people. The lion slept in her stroller, pumpkin-puppy tied to the handle, while Irene Adler pushed and Sherlock Holmes alternated walking beside "the woman" and chasing after his mischievous son.

Despite their late start, they waved to friends and neighbors as the twins collected candy. The treat bags were overflowing before long and Nick was attacking trees and bushes with his knife.

He even made his own sound effects. They sound eerily like a cross between the music during the infamous shower scene in _Psycho_ and the appearance of _Jaws_.

"Jack, have you been letting him watching scary movies again?"

"What? Oh… not really. Just _Star Wars_… which reminds me, can we hide those? Please? If I have to hear 'Luke, I am your father' one more time…"

"Hey, I had to sit through repeated sing-alongs thanks to _Tangled_."

"Singing animals. Uck."

Lisa snorted. "That reminds me… I get to pick the kids' movies from now on. Last time I left you and Nick alone for two seconds you bought _Gulliver's Travels._ It's okay the first time, but the fart jokes and bathroom humor got old very, very fast."

"That's half the fun of the movie!"

"Which is why I accidently dropped it down the sink and let the garbage disposal crunch it."

"Accidently? Or accidently on purpose?"

She shrugged, pushing Katarina down the street. "You decide. Either way, it's gone.

Jackson put an arm around her. "I won't tell Nick if you won't."

"Deal."

* * *

><p><em>Halloween – 11:45pm<em>

After a lengthy candy division and baths, all three kids were in bed. Downstairs, Lisa and Jackson snuggled on the couch, a few candy wrappers scattered between them along with Cooper and a bowl of popcorn.

On the screen, they watched a young woman run through a parking garage. Even though the movie was supposedly set at Christmas time, it was airing during one of the Halloween movie slots several channels were running. It was a break from _Halloween_ and its numerous sequels, the _Friday the 13__th_ series and torture-esque porn _Saw, Hostel_, and _Wrong Turn_. And some really bad Lifetime Original Movies.

Lisa curled up in his arms as a security guard chased the young woman. "Jack… change the channel…"

"Why? Are you scared?"

"I guess. It reminds me of us. In the airport."

He pulled her close. "Really? I just thought she reminded me of you. C'mon, you know she's going to beat the shit out of him…"

"I don't know…"

A dog appeared on the screen, chasing the woman. She swung at the dog, killing it. There was a loud gasp. On the couch, Cooper growled.

Lisa grabbed his arm. "Someone's here…"

"Nicholas… come here…" he called, weary.

It took a moment before their son appeared. "She killed the dog!"

"Why aren't you in bed?" Lisa asked.

"Not sleepy."

"What about now?" Jackson asked, pulling his son up on the couch. Cooper growled at the intrusion.

"No… they killed the dog!"

"Oh, Nicky, you know that it's not real, right? They didn't really hurt the dog… it's fake. It's just a movie…"

He frowned. "But it…"

"Seriously, it's not real. Blood's not that color."

Lisa punched her husband in the shoulder with a nasty look. "Not helping…"

"Tell you what, Nick… why don't you sleep in our room tonight?" Jackson suggested. "Or take Cooper the wonder mutt… he'll protect you."

Cooper growled in response as Nicholas shifted on the sofa.

"I'm… I'm not scared."

"You sure? It's okay to be scared. Even your mom was scared."

"I'm not scared."

"Okay." Jackson clicked off the TV. "Time for bed then."

* * *

><p><em>November 1<em>_st__ – 1am_

A small body curled up in the middle of the bed. Cooper growled low in his throat as one of the twins snuggled down between Lisa and Jackson. Slowly, the pair turned to see the intruder, feigning sleep.

Hunkered down with a blanket was Nicholas.

"I think he learned his lesson," Jackson whispered.

"Agreed."

**Author's Notes:**

I personally love so-called "scary movies". I was terrified as a child of them and costumes—a bit like Marissa. My older siblings loved teasing me about it. Hands down cutest baby costume – a "money bag". Kid you not. Adorable. And yeah, I was Sleeping Beauty at age 9. And no… it wasn't because of the pink. She happened to be my favorite princess at the time. (But I was them all at some point or another… Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine, Pocahontas… - I was a child of the 90s and before "licensed" costumes were easy to find – and no, I didn't do Ariel—that was my sister's fav.)

Those with young kids or young siblings, get the whole "scary" costume bit with boys. They have a hard time picking just one. While young girls tend to know who exactly they want to be, at a certain age superheroes or what not are "dumb". Nicholas portrays that well.

And I couldn't leave Cooper behind. But I wasn't making him dress up – hence the pumpkin shirt. I have one for my Yorkie – cause he gets cold. I don't force pets into costumes. He loves sweaters and doggie t-shirts. It's a sickness.

I had so many ideas for Jackson and Lisa's costumes. I knew I wanted to do a pair costume for the two of them – doing the whole family would NEVER work because of Nick's strong personality – but it took some thinking. I was leaning toward Arwen and Aragorn from LOTR, but I heard Jackson being snarky.

So I decided to think of favorite TV shows. I was on _Warehouse 13_ as Pete and Myka, but H.G. really steals the show and Pete and Myka aren't really a couple. But from there I thought – Irene Adler. And vola! Sherlock and Irene – Jackson and Lisa.

You guys rock! Thanks for the continued interest in these little one shots. It makes my holiday(s). Pleas, pretty please review! This is my Halloween this year – I have to be in class all night so I'll miss trick or treating.

And, yeah, _P2_ is the movie Jackson and Lisa were watching.


End file.
